NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 176, 20 April 1908, Page 8

NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

■' (DT TELEGRAM—.PRESS ASSOCIATION.) 1 9— —' FEDERATED CATHOLIC CLUBS. ANNUAL CONFERENCE, . : Auchlanci/ April 18.. The annual conference of the Federated Catholic Clubs was opened ill the - Marjst .Brothers': Old Boys'" Club-rooms 'this afternoon. ,'(■-. ',' The representation was. .as . follows Auckland :. Messrs. Stanley , and Furlong. Onehunga: Messrs. Patten and Morris. Now Plymouth.: Mr/ V. O'Brien. Waiiganui: Messrs. Murphy' and Dcrvan. ' •Hastings: Mr. O'Shea. , . Palmerston North: Mr. M'Govern (proxy). ■ Petone: Mr. Gallagher... i, , Wellington: Messrs. M'Gowan-^and '.' CallagVan. ' i .- • 'Blenheim: Messrs. Fama and Shaw.' ( . Groyniouth: Messrs. Mulhollan'd ': and Kemblc. • • . ' . , •Hokitika: Mr. Mahon. ■- Christchurch:. Messrs. Ainger. and Stan•ley. '■ ■ Ashburton: Mr. Breadon.' Temuka: Messrs. Barry and Shanaghan. . South Dunedin: Mr. Handerspeck. ' Invercargill: Mr. Knight • • Federation : Messrs. .Casey aind M'Govern. The Rev. Fathers : - O'Donnell, Doyle, Hoi- : brook, Za(na, and Bro. George were also present. . '■ •' ' The Rev. Father Holbrook gave an address' of welcome, _ in. .thfe absence of ■ the ■Bishop and 1 the Vicar-General. Mr. A. H. Casey, president of the Federar tion, opened (the .proceedings briefly:' Ho said the Ma'rist Brothers' Club would hold. .its annual communion .tomorrow morning, when the'delegates "would also receive tha .Sacrament.. A:>harbour excursion .had been . arranged'for Sunday-afternoon. - _ , Tlie annual report stated that, since tha last conference, clubs established at New Plymouth', ' Onehunga, - apd : " Hastings had' joined the . Federation'. .' There were now eighteen clubs: affiliated, 'and there ' wera prospects: of clubs being formed in a' dozen: other centres.. Oratorical competitions 1 had . been held by.a"number of the clubs in.October for,•diplomas'.of merit: awarded •by^the?: .Federal Executive. . The "Catholie Magazino" was in",a satisfactory position! V Tha; .Very Rev.. Father O'Shea (Wellington), Sir . Goorge Clifford (Christehurch), and Mr. W. ■ G. Malone (New Plymouth) had been elected honorary members. The . Rev. Father Kim- ' bell, who had.bep transferred from Welling- , ton,-had been succeeded, by the Rev. Father ' . Venning., The magazine account and ■' the ~ general - account both showed small credit balances. N \,- - ■ A - SENSATIONAL INCIDENT ■ ; - Auckland, April 18. ■ A sensational;..incident is.reported ; :asi bar- . ing •; occurred (on the!. Queen- Street; Wharf . ■shortly before. 4(, o'clopk oil Thursday, arternoon last'.,'.' An" eye-witness (Mr.. E. J. Bn- , tain,.of Beresford Street); states that an old man, waiked to, the end., of the western, tee, Queen, .Street Wharf,; and, '_after " carefully folding ,his.coat,'placed : it, with his.-cap,", oa the wharf. ■ Then..he. calmly jumped' overboard. His. action was , notiqed; 'by ..soma . workmen, who were , a little distance : away, and great,credit is due; to one of their ,num- >' ber, a Young man. named John Cassidy, who, fully dressed, (jumped in after, the man;- and 'effected' his .rescue, with- the assistancevof Mr. C. M'Quillan. Mr. Britain states-that there' were no police about at the time to inquire'into the old l gentleman's reasons.for his ra£h act, .and: ho walked off :the wharf unmolested, it'is to be presumed a sadder and wiser man..... . OBSTRUCTION ON'A'RAILWAY LINE.. Paeroa, April .18. Yesterday morning.; the 'police, formed that the railway, line about' two-m&s fiom >Paeroa had: been covered with, ballast. ' They proceeded to the place'and found that ballast had, been pulled over the line.' for about two feet on one side'arid; about eighteen • inches on (the other, rail.- (It. is doubtful ■if this would have derailed: a . train,- but it apipears as.if such was the intention, as it was J only-. about •: four feet from 1 the.- bridge.': ; The ; haliast was of-a loose sandy nature. SPORTS AT NAPIER'. • ; ' 'Napier, April ,19.' : At the Carnival athletic sports yesterday, the Sheffield Handicap ;was won by S. H. Major (12yds.) in .12 l-Ssec., with T: M!lniyre (4yds.) a close second. ~ •' ~ ' ". / , OVER-PROOF HOP BEER.. ■ V/anganui,: April 18. , Eleven ..persons ,were on Thursday, ail Raetihi,'.fined £2 each and costs for selling over-proof hop beer. The evidence showed a .big trade amongst (co-operative labourers on. the Main Trunk railway in this; drink, and the Government Analyst pronounced • 'the samples/as being : double the strength'"'of' ordinary beer. ■ ' ; F. Brinsori,: for sly grog-selling, near the :Main Trunk railway, was also fined £50, ia .default threo'.months'. imprisonment;. on oiie information, arid : on a second information was • sentenced -to three_ .months 1 ;Imprisohmenb without the . option of . a fine 1 . - ALLEGED SLANDER. ' ' ; Napior, April 18.. -- Mr. MacDonnell, :Inspector of Police,, haa beeii servo! with a writ .for. alleged slander ■ (claim £1000), : and for alleged libel ,(£500)- afr tho instance ;0f;.51r. H. B. Lusk, a prominent .solicitor. ; THE' PRICE 'OF . BUTTER;' Auckland, April 18. Auckland' butter- merchants, do ,not, ahti<ii:pate a reduction (in ( the price of'butter. Though, bountiful feed has increased .the supply, they anticipate a considerable falling ' . off in tJie supplies in a 'month at latest. ; .• . ' • - NEWS IN BRIEF. . 1 ■-( v -' . Tafhape, April 18. A heavy shock of earthquake, accompanied (' by what resembled a subterranean explosion, - was felt-at 11 'o-olock;last night.' 1 i\... ■■ ■' , • : .Auckjanrij-Aprih IS. ./■ The Goverii'mont having granted £50- t<v.-.. wards sending Sergeant (Friar, of the Onehung'a School.Cadets, ,t-o'England, the ; 'sum- -; hqs -been increased by ( liberal subscriptions. ( ; -Sergeant Friar leaves oil May. 4. •••:, >•..• ,